P7: walk the walk

These articles were very shocking. I always find it very unsettling to hear there are still worker conditions like the ones described in these articles existing  in the world, and much more so that they are in the United States. We are a country that prides itself and stands for freedom and the voice and rights of the individual, at least this are what I have always been taught and brainwashed to think. I never really considered using the word brainwashed to describe national pride until I learned the more truthful version of history of our country. What I mean by this is that when we are little, like grade school or below, we always celebrate the 4^th of July and Columbus day, are told our country is the best, and sing the national anthem. I remember the first factual negative thing I ever learned in school was in the 6^th grade. It was the truth about Columbus treating the natives horribly by murdering and pillaging, before this I thought it was some kind of huge celebration that Columbus arrived as though they had been waiting for him and celebrated his presence. I also assumed, for no reason, that thye spoke the same language and instantly took to a conversation that began “what is your name?” like all meetings do when you are below the age of 10.

I got off an a tangent there but my thought was this: we are brainwashed into thinking everything is perfect in our country and completely miss the fact that things such as slavery exists in the U.S. today. I am shocked I had no prior knowledge of this. Personally the food info. Was gross but I don’t really care when it comes with the fact that workers are losing limbs and are treated as slaves and have to live in the forest and cant afford to buy protection from horrible chemicals that cause them to go blind. Especially when the government has put off investigation for over ten years. My first thought on that is somewhere some very rich guy is having to cough up a lot of dough(not enough though) to keep this on hold. My second is how shameful I feel that a country such as ours and the high ideals we so often talk about are not followed remotely. We are talking the talk but certainly not walking the walk.